Vandoren Optimum Mouthpiece

[Big B]

This brand new piece on the market is by far the best mouthpiece I've used on my Guardala. First of it is a FREE BLOWING mouthpiece amd so smooth. After a few improv lyrical runs that was easily shown that it is SMOOTH but then when I did some rapid tounging exercises it was great and kept up great going through my chromatic runs. All in all Lovely sound and Awesome design something kinna old school about it. Anone hesitating on this Mouthpiece go for it because it is really the evolution of the V5 series. Truly the new standard for all classical based mouthpieces.

[jp3]

I'm playing a Selmer c* now. What would be the equivalent or slightly larger tip opening?

[Big B]

the AL3 model is about the equilivant to a C* and the AL 4 is about the C**.

[singlereed]

The opening on the AL4 is similar to a C*, the AL3 is quite different, being more closed still but with a longer facing. This is my impression as a player, and also corresponds with Vandoren's facing comparison chart. The AL4 is identical in facing to the A28, the AL3 is a real full-on classical piece offering smooth controlled tone and fast articulation but I found it has less variation in intonation (i.e. bending notes) than the AL4 and a more focussed and clearly defined sound.

Apart from the external shape, I am not sure how the Otimimum varies from the V5 series - the chamber looks similar and playing side by side, I could not perceive much difference between the A28 and the AL4. In fact, as a longs standing A28 player, I was not that impressed witht he AL4 (at least not the example I played), whereas the AL3 did have something I was looking for. My A28 has been superseded by a new Soloist D which I find a lot more exciting to play for band music and classical crossing over to jazz/latin/blues - where there is a need for bending and more tonal variation. I must get round to trying a C* Soloist, I have seen a number of notable pro classical players who have switched to those.